(A) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flashlight guide used with firearms, hand tools and the like and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a flashlight guide for mounting on the bottom of a handgun grip, on the bottom of a magazine received in the handgun or on a hand tool. The flashlight guide is adapted for resting on top of a portion of a flashlight for aligning a flashlight beam relative to a line of sight of the handgun or tool when pointing toward a target or work piece, so that the beam and line of sight intersect at a predetermined range.
(B) Discussion of Prior Art
In the United States, there are a number of manufacturers making flashlight systems having an adapter for permanently attaching a flashlight to a bottom of a grip of a handgun, a rifle, a shotgun and the like. The adapters provide light systems for firearms used by law enforcement, home security and sportsmen. Certain prior art flashlight adapters require special holsters for specific models of firearms.
A number of U.S. patents have issued which disclose light holders for firearms and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,826,004 discloses a flashlight having a barrel rest between the light portion and the battery case. The barrel portion includes a setscrew and shims, but does not discuss their use in adjusting the orientation of the flashlight relative to the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,209,524 discloses a flashlight having a barrel rest that is adjustable vertically and horizontally, using a pair of setscrews. Optical means are disclosed for providing a light beam in which the central portion is rendered more visible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,933 discloses handguns and shotguns including grooves to seat a cylindrical flashlight barrel by hand to aim in the same direction as the firearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,683 discloses a flashlight adapter which allows a flashlight to slide onto the bottom of the handle of a semiautomatic pisol. The flashlight and barrel axes are substantially parallel, but there appear to be no means for adjusting the angle of the light beam relative to the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,348 discloses a bracket system for detachably mounting a flashlight on a hand supported firearm (e.g., the handle of a revolver) so that the flashlight is supported beneath the firearm and substantially parallel to the axis of the barrel to illuminate an area toward which the firearm is pointed. No means for adjustment of the flashlight relative to the barrel axis are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,226 discloses a light mount for firearms, particularly shotguns, to selectively place a beam of light at the approximate point of impact from the firearm. The flashlight is shown as mounted atop the shotgun barrel with devices including a tubular housing, a spring housing and a base member. No means are apparently provided for adjustment of the light beam relative to the barrel. Remote switching means for the flashlight are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,446 discloses a handgun grip accessory for attachment to the tubular casing of a flashlight to enable the user to hold the flashlight while at the same time aiming the attached handgun (using a two-handed grip) at an object illuminated by the flashlight. No means are apparently provided for adjusting the light beam relative to the handgun barrel. A finger-actuated switch for the flashlight is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,703 discloses a mounting device for removably mounting a flashlight on a handgun, using a combination of brackets and an elastic band surrounding the handgun grip. The brackets are said to hold the flashlight in desired alignment with the barrel of the gun, but there is apparently no provision for adjustment of this alignment. The attachment system is said to avoid problems associated with the fitting of the handgun into a holster. Remote switching for the flashlight is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,555 discloses a switch actuation mechanism for a firearm-mounted flashlight having a “momentary” switch mechanism. The actuating mechanism includes a lever to be actuated by the finger of the hand gripping the firearm to operate the flashlight. The flashlight is illustrated as attached to the magazine base of a semiautomatic pistol, but does not appear to be adjustable relative to the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,875 discloses an illumination source and mounting system to be detachably secured to a family of firearms including pistols, revolvers and long guns. A “mount-to-magazine interface” aligns the light beam to provide illumination at a fixed range impact point, but no adjustment of this alignment appears to be provided for. Remote pressure switching for the flashlight is disclosed. This system is commercially available as the “TACM III Tactical Light System” from Diamond Products Marketing, Inc. of Palm Bay, Fla.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,683 discloses a flashlight adapter for a handgun having a base retainer receivable into the interior of a magazine through the lower end thereof. Ther magazine base has a channel therein for receiving a lightholder holding a flashlight therein. A “QUIK-2-SEE” Flashlight Mounting System is commercially available, apparently related to this patent and connecting a flashlight to the magazine of a firearm in a fixed position via a flanged adapter attached to the flashlight and a T-rail sliding bar fastened to the magazine and adapted to interconnect with the flashlight flanged adapter.
Despite the numerous patents and products in this field, there remains a need for a simple, inexpensive, portable device or system which can be installed to fasten a light source to a projecting device such as a handgun to align the light beam substantially parallel with the weapon's line of sight in the horizontal plane and selectively aligned relative to the line of sight in the vertical axis so that the light beam and the line of sight intersect at the expected point of impact or point of aim.
None of the above mentioned prior art flashlight systems and adapters provide the unique structure, function, objects and advantages of the subject invention as described herein.